Headlines: coronavirus, the African exception

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By: Frédéric Couteau Follow

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Le Monde Afrique takes stock of the pandemic in Africa. And against all odds, the health catastrophe predicted by some did not happen…

Indeed, “  The Covid-19 accelerates its progression in Africa, but remains much less deadly than on the other continents. Four months after the arrival of the first cases in Africa, the threat of bloodshed promised by the mathematical models do not materialize, thus leading World Africa, what unites the continent where the new coronavirus behaves differently. In France, 1 in 4,000 people have been affected. They are 3 times more in the United States when, in Africa, the contamination remains 10 times less for the time being. The milestone of 370,000 patients, crossed last Sunday, certainly betrays a marked acceleration of the spread of the virus by signing a doubling of cases in 21 days, notes the newspaper.But this surge is driven by a few areas, including South Africa. In this country which dissociates itself from the general situation of the continent, the situation worsens rapidly, to the point that South Africa accumulates a third of the contaminations of the continent and a quarter of its deaths. Elsewhere, notes Le Monde Afrique, the count is much less macabre: Africa, which is home to 17% of the world's population, accounts for only 2% of the dead. Of course, we should add to these formal counts many 'invisible cases', 'a young population, affected by mild forms, who does not consult and heals alone after a few days of fever', describes Moumouni Kinda, director of operations from the Alima Non-Governmental Organization.  "

We travel again in West Africa

In any case, West Africa is reopening its borders… Yesterday, July 1, Pointe Le Pays in Burkina, "  the member countries of ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, have reopened their borders closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As you can imagine, the event was most anticipated because the movement of populations within the community space, meets many imperatives.  "

Indeed, continues the Burkinabe daily, "  this reopening of the borders is important both for the resumption of economic activity which remains largely dependent on the movement of men, and for the social life of the populations, some of whom have been separated from their families. when the border barriers were erected. But , tempers the daily life of Ouagadougou, above the feelings of joy that will not fail to accompany this measure of lifting of border barriers, hover large clouds. (…) The Covid-19 pandemic is far from being under control, the newspaper estimates. (…) There are serious reasons for concern to see the efforts made by the countries where the situation was more or less under control be wiped out by a new explosion in figures, linked to the resumption of road traffic between the different States.  "

Resumption of international flights in Ivory Coast

For its part, Ivory Coast is shaping up internationally, with the reopening of its air borders ... This is what Le Point Afrique notes . “  After the resumption of domestic flights on June 26, it is the turn of international flights to get back in place. Travelers arriving in Côte d'Ivoire are subject to 'arrival check and monitoring during their stay thanks to a geolocation system', assured the Minister of Health. French-speaking economic heavyweight of West Africa, Côte d'Ivoire is one of the first African countries to announce the resumption of its international flights.  "

Burundi decides to go to war against Covid-19

Finally, a 180 degree turn in Burundi ... "  During the swearing in of the new government the day before yesterday at the Kigobe hemicycle , notes the news site Iwacu , the President of the Evariste Republic Ndayishimiye announced that, from now on, the government would resolve to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.  "

Commentary of the daily newspaper Today in Ouagadougou, "  the new elected official did not take gloves to row against state propaganda, the denial of the Covid-19 having only been equaled by the number unknown of contaminated. The new head of state, barely installed in Gitega, declared Covid-19 as "the greatest enemy of Burundians", and in the process announced that the state would subsidize the price of soap at 50%, which the price per cubic meter of water would be lowered, and that screening for the pandemic would be carried out. (...) When we know that until his last breath, the late President Nkurunziza has always done in denial, this new posture of the Burundian authorities is surprising and relieves.  "

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